Supporting Institutional Accountability and Student Success in the Era of OBBBA
Higher education is entering a new era of accountability. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, federal student aid and institutional accountability in the US have undergone the most significant changes in decades. At the center of these changes are new frameworks for program-level accountability and limits on student borrowing—policies designed to ensure that every degree delivers real value to students.
For institutions, this means the spotlight is shifting from broad institutional reporting to program-level outcomes as federal aid eligibility will hinge upon student earnings data. The OBBBA introduces an "earnings premium" accountability metric: undergraduate programs must show that graduates' median earnings four years after graduation meet or exceed the median earnings of working adults in their state with only a high school diploma, and graduate programs must meet similar thresholds compared to bachelor's degree holders. Programs failing this test for two out of three years lose eligibility for student loans, although Pell Grants would remain accessible. Meanwhile, graduate and professional programs face additional pressure as borrowing caps redefine the financial model for advanced degrees.
In short: the stakes for demonstrating student success have never been higher, and institutions need tools that can help them meet this challenge.
The Growing Need for Outcomes Measurement
This new policy environment only amplifies trends already reshaping higher education:
- Students are demanding clearer connections between their coursework and career outcomes
- Employers and policymakers want proof that academic programs deliver skills that matter in the workforce
- Accreditors expect institutions to show how teaching and learning tie to institutional effectiveness
- And as previously mentioned, now with OBBBA, program-level performance is directly linked to financial sustainability
So now outcomes assessment has become the linchpin. It allows institutions to demonstrate value in concrete terms: what students are learning, how effectively programs are preparing them for future success, and how results compare across disciplines and credentials. Without integrated, scalable outcomes tools, institutions will struggle to meet both external reporting requirements and internal improvement goals.
Outcomes in Blackboard
The new Outcomes capability in Blackboard helps institutions meet this moment by embedding outcome measurement directly into the LMS experience. Institutions can align assignments to defined learning outcomes and track student achievement over time, all within the normal flow of teaching. Institution-wide dashboards give assessment leaders and administrators the insights they need to highlight strengths, address gaps, and prepare for accreditation or regulatory reviews. From the top down, institutions can assign and relate outcomes across the institutional hierarchy—programs, disciplines, departments—ensuring consistency and transparency at every level.
But this isn’t just about compliance. By making outcomes a visible part of the student experience, Blackboard gives learners the clarity they increasingly expect—including visibility into their progress, confidence in the value of their degree, and a sense of connection between coursework and career goals.
Why It Matters Now
With OBBBA set to transform institutional accountability, the ability to measure and showcase outcomes is no longer optional. Outcomes in Blackboard gives institutions a proactive way to:
- Protect financial sustainability by ensuring programs can meet performance thresholds tied to federal aid eligibility
- Prepare for new accountability frameworks by aligning program-level performance to defined standards
- Demonstrate value to students, employers, and accreditors through transparent, accessible learning outcomes data
- Strengthen retention by helping students see their progress toward mastery and long-term goals
Availability
The Early Adopter program for Outcomes began on July 7, 2025, with general availability tentatively planned for early 2026. Once available, Outcomes will be included in the core license for Blackboard and will be available to customers in North America.
Current Blackboard customers can reach out to their customer success managers for more information; and institutions interested in learning more about Outcomes, and everything included in the core license of Blackboard, can request a demo of Blackboard here.
Mindy Mekhail
